Of Cheese and Crackers
by KyleRocks1995
Summary: Today, Timmy Burch has an OT session with Dr. Jeremy. Timmy gets to try cheese and crackers for the first time.


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(Today, Timmy Burch was learning about geology in his special ed classroom. To show the classmates, Nathan has brought in some gemstones he got from a gift shop.)

Teacher: So, what types of rocks are pink?

Nathan: Rose quartz. In fact, I have a few of these stones myself, Look! (shows the whole classroom his quartz rocks, nestled in his hand) I got them from a museum gift shop.

Teacher: Good job, Nathan. You deserve another star sticker for your prize chart.

Nathan: My pleasure, pretty woman. Who's next?

Mimsy: My favorite stone is turquoise, it's blue, smooth and pretty, der!

Nathan (gets mad and gives Mimsy the middle finger) Shut up Mimsy!

Teacher: Nathan, please don't do middle fingers in class.

Nathan (calms down and gets back into his seat) Okay teacher, I apologize.

Teacher: Excuse me, class, but I need to tell Timmy Burch something. (walks over to Timmy. She uses her index finger to point at Timmy's laminated visual daily schedule, taped on his desk) Timmy... Timmy, time for OT.

Timmy: Uhh... okay... livin' a lie tim-oh.

(Timmy's occupational therapist softly opens the classroom door, saying "Timmy Burch?".)

Timmy: Duh! Timmy! Livin' a lie! (makes silly noises and flaps hands, looking anxious) Uh...

Nathan: Timmy's gonna panic... I'll give him this blanket. (gives Timmy a soft, dark blue thermal blanket, covering his arms, torso and legs with it) Here you go, Timmy.

Timmy (in a calm, whisper-like voice): Yay... livin' a lie tim-oh.

Nathan: I'll help him get to his OT class. See you in a minute, madam.

(Nathan volunteers to help steer Timmy's wheelchair towards and into the therapy room. Timmy makes it safely into the therapy room, and Nathan walks back to his classroom.)

(Timmy, a bit overstimulated by the change in environment, and the bright lights, looks down at his blanket. Timmy's occupational therapist, Dr. Jeremy, shows Timmy his visual schedule. The schedule is a mini chalkboard that was already written on by Dr. Jeremy.)

Dr. Jeremy: Hi, Timmy! Say Hi to... me, Dr. Jeremy.

Timmy: Yay, Jar-a-me. Livin' a lie.

Dr. Jeremy: I'm an OT. Today, we will have some fun together. Timmy... time to

to read schedule. Time to read schedule... (points at activity #1) First, game, What type of game? Timmy, ask!

Timmy: Duh? Livin a lie.

Dr. Jeremy: We'll play... match the cards! See? (points at the cards he is holding) Animal cards!

Timmy: Yay! Go, Timmy, Go!

(Timmy and the OT play cards together, taking turns, flipping over on card at a time. His OT is playing this game to help Timmy pay attention to tasks better, but Timmy is making weird noises and twitching a lot. Timmy is autistic and has involuntary movements; he can't control his twitching or noises much.)

Dr. Jeremy (flips over a card and finds a bear): See? Timmy, look! It's a bear! Bear!

Timmy: Wee-oh, Timmy! Bear! Timmy timmy timmaw! (flips over a card. The card shows a bear, and matches with the other bear card.)

Dr. Jeremy: Good job, Timmy. We matched two bears! Timmy?

Timmy: Wee-oo! Timmy! (flaps hands at looks down at his own blanket) Timmy!

(After they finish the card game, Timmy and the OT work together on planting a tree to donate to the garden center. Timmy is given a soft silicone cup with a handle, and the OT helps him scoop up dirt and pour it into the pot.)

Timmy: Tree! Tree! Tree! Timmy timmy tim-oh!

Dr. Jeremy: Good job, Timmy. Now, pour dirt into pot. Carefully...

(Timmy pours the cup of dirt into the pot, and giggles. The OT shows Timmy the tree sapling they're about to plant.)

Dr Jeremy: See? This is a sapling. A baby tree. A Colorado blue spruce... Blue spruce... (shows Timmy the sapling a bit closer, but Timmy is looking away and making weird noises) Timmy, are you listening? Please see.

Timmy (making racecar noises, wiggling his fingers and twitching his head): Timmy! Tree, tree, tree! Please see, please see! (makes more racecar noises)

(At this point, the OT takes a star off of Timmy's reward chart. The goal on Timmy's reward chart is towards a weighted plush dog. He shows Timmy that he'll have to pay attention and behave to earn back that star.)

Dr. Jeremy: I'm sorry, Timmy. Pay attention, please, or else, star goes poof! (takes a star off of Timmy's reward chart) Pay attention, star comes back.

Timmy (sad and starts to calm down): Yes. Timmy Tim Jimmy. Tree. (plants the sapling into the pot, as the OT holds the pot still) *sniff, Timmy Tim Tim-oh...

(The sapling gets carefully planted. The OT decides to water it, in fear of Timmy spilling the water everywhere.)

Dr. Jeremy: Good work Timmy! Now, star comes back! (puts star back on Timmy's reward chart.)

Timmy (giggles): Good work Timmy! Star! Star! Livin' a lie!

(however, the OT tells Timmy its time to work on his self care and eating skills. Specifically, Timmy will have to tolerate and try to rub cleansing gel on his face - without screaming or panicking -, and work towards tolerating the texture of a washcloth.)

Dr. Jeremy (gets the gel, washcloths and cotton balls out of his bag): Okay, Timmy. Time to... wash face! With gel!

Timmy (starts to shiver a bit, and become quiet): Uh...

(The OT squirts a little gel onto a cotton ball, and let's Timmy feel it.)

Dr. Jeremy: Timmy, look! A wet bunny tail! This little bunny hopped in a puddle.

Timmy (smiles and starts to cheer up): Bunny tail!

Dr. Jeremy: The bunny will hop on your face! Get ready! (gently rubs the wet cotton ball on Timmy's cheeks, nose, chin, ears and forehead, before washing off with a wet, soft paper towel drenched in water. Then the OT dries his face with a dry paper towel.) Hop hop! Now, all done! Face is all clean!

(Next, Timmy will learn to tolerate and eat a couple new foods. This is not easy for him, though.)

Dr. Jeremy: Okay, Timmy. Let's try... a few snacks!

Timmy (twitching, looks away towards a random poster on the wall): Livin' a lie, livin' a lie tim-oh!

(The OT puts out a plastic plate of a few different crackers, tiny cubes of cheese, pieces of celery, sliced carrot sticks, and light greek yogurt ranch dip. Timmy is starting to look visibly anxious...)

(The OT dips a celery stick into the ranch, and asks him to open his mouth.)

Dr. Jeremy: Timmy, open wide! Here comes the rocket! Whoosh!

(Timmy opens up his mouth, and the OT places it on his tongue, but still holds the stick,so Timmy doesn't choke.)

Dr. Jeremy: Good job, Timmy! Amazing! Now, close lips real tight. Chew, and chew, then swallow.

(Timmy closes his lips, and chews and swallows his celery stick. He likes the ranch dressing. The therapist compliments him, and praises him.)

Dr. Jeremy: Yay, Timmy! Woohoo! Now, let's do... cheese and crackers!

(Each cheese cube is a different type of cheese. The types are: Sharp orange cheddar, cubed feta, pepper jack, Romano, and blueberry goat cheese. Each cracker is a different one, and the types of crackers are: A shredded whole wheat biscuit, a sesame multigrain, a rice crisp, a buckwheat crisp, and a rye cracker. Each food item will be tried by itself, by Timmy Burch.)

Dr. Jeremy: Okay, Timmy. This plate has... cheese and crackers. Yummy!

Timmy: Cheese! Cheese! Cracker! Cracker!

(Dr. Jeremy decides to start off with the crackers, so Timmy will be less anxious for the strong flavors of cheese.)

Dr Jeremy: See, Timmy? This is... a rice crisp. Open wide.

(Timmy eats the rice crisp with his own fingers. Dr. Jeremy repeats this with all the other crackers, which Timmy does fine with. Afterwards, Dr. Jeremy moves on to helping Timmy try the cheese.)

Dr. Jeremy: Timmy, cheese time. See? This is... blueberry cheese. (lifts up the little spoon of blueberry goat cheese towards Timmy's mouth) Open wide! Say "ahh!"

(Timmy opens his mouth, and chews and swallows the cheese just fine. Blueberries are delicious to him.)

Dr. Jeremy: Look at this... pepper jack. Use fingers! (Dr. Jeremy allows Timmy to use his own fingers, without the OT's fingers now.)

(Timmy eats up all the cheese just fine. His favorites were the cheddar and blueberry cheese, as well as the pepper jack. His session is finished, and Timmy returns to class just fine, all happy and giggling.)


End file.
